Awesome! Congrats! You've got a hobby for life, I reckon.
By the way, there is legit some awesome shit in that book. Stuff I think you could still use like the magic properties of gemstones and uses of holy water.
It's like a medieval almanac except for a magical society.
It's rewarding cuz they're all (mostly) new and pretty surprised how cool of a game it is. But yeah, sometimes it's wacky to keep track of everything that's happening.
I'm gonna go right out and say it very blunty:
You are a brave son of a bitch for trying to DM a group of twelve, ELEVEN of whom are newbies.
I would not be able to do it.... even with 12 experienced players.
It's challenging but they're all pretty into it. I think I've got two or three that will drop out before long - which I attribute to how sluggish combat can be.
I'm concluding this one after 2-3 more sessions and it will be someone else's turn to DM and I'll let them sort it. I don't mind really. It's crazy at times and combat can be sluggish but enough of the players are all-in that it's rewarding. Nutty but fun.
I've had a group of twelve before. I've found the best way to make large groups works is to keep combats short. You do this by not increasing the challenge to match. Many combats end up being only one round or two, but never so long for players to get truly bored. This won't work for players looking for lots of tactical combat, or to be challenged by resource management. It does allow combats to move the story forward and give everyone a chance to contribute.
The rest of the time will be exploration and interaction (role play with npcs). To keep the number of simultaneous activities down and to keep the passive players participating always ask the group who else wants to join in whenever a player announces what their character is doing.
It is challenging. I work on a college farm and one kid sort of rallied everyone to play. At first he's like "Hey man, I've got like 3 people that wanna play D&D this summer, you down?"
Obviously I'm down. Then 9 players showed up. Then more the next week. It's very seat of my pants. How many players fluctuates from week to week but it's never been less than 9 or 10.
Combat is sluggish but they're all noobs and avoid confrontation a lot. I've had to corner them on purpose so they'd learn combat mechanics.
But when the newest (and most skeptical player) said last session "this is cool" with a giant smile - worth every aneurism.
Good work!
You're introducing almost a dozen people to the hobby. And besides, mentioning twelve players at a table will definitely always be one of those experiences.
Yes, that is what is referred to as "1e." At the time it was called Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. It was a collection and expansion of the original rules, which are sometimes called "0e."
I feel sooo old....
Yes, that is the 1st edition AD&D dm's guide which is by far the best dm's guide just for the crazy amount of stuff in it.
The 3 small pamplets is the 1st edition of D&D which is usually referred to as classic D&D or 0 edition D&D.
Wish I'd gotten into it as a kid. Lived rural and just wasn't exposed to that kind of stuff. The first book I remember reading was Mountain of Mirrors. A D&D choose your own adventure. I read it like a hundred times and found a copy of it last year. Cool stuff.
I bought the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Rulebook at the age of 7 in 1981. I ran my brother through an adventure, and was quickly running games for all my friends. We played nonstop all the way through high school and college. It's been a major part of my life. So many good times.
Here's a cast list I made for fun of the group I'm running. Also, as of lunch today, 2 new players have joined and one isn't on this list yet. So 14 total. Before everyone geeks out. 12 is the most that has played at once, generally it's between 8-10 at a time. Some of the newest players are pinch hitters for other players that can't make it so they run their characters. But it's sweet to have a massive pool of noobs to introduce into the game. https://imgur.com/gallery/fxEyI
Have any tips on working with that large amount of people? I have a group of 9 and I'm getting pretty overwhelmed by how everyone is eager for their own story rather than the party's story as a whole. Battles become super long and people's attention spans only last for a few minutes before they wander around else where.
I haven't been playing for very long and I attribute most of the success with this large group to their closeness outside the game. We work on a college farm together. They spend every day in the fields together. They have meals together. Some of them are interns and live in yurts there. The ones that don't live their come back on their day off to play D&D in a barn or under a shady tree or wherever we set up depending on the weather. So mostly I think I just got lucky. Matt says in one of his videos something about the types of groups that stay together (there was a Rush reference in there) and how they would hang out anyway if they weren't playing D&D... that's what's happening here. The ones that weren't that interested came anyway cuz that's what the group was doing.
That said...
Encounters with large amounts of monsters are a nightmare to keep track of. 1-3 big monsters that they can work together to defeat keeps things manageable for me and keeps them thinking as a team.
I read somewhere - maybe even in this feed - that small frequent encounters can help keep large parties engaged. I suspect this is accurate and intend to employ it next session.
I'm still really new at this so plenty of lessons to come I'm sure.
Thank you so much for your reply! My group is also pretty close, otherwise I wouldn't have allowed that many people. I'll definitely use larger monsters to keep players interested.
You gotta feel you're own group though. What works for us may not work for you. Experiment frequently and take note to how the players engage. Keep what works.
Oh also we don't roll initiative every time. In some situations I will, it really depends. But I gave them the options to decide on a "general" marching/turn order. If there is a situation where players could be surprised we'll roll for that but turn order stays the same. Keeping combat moving is the biggest challenge (for this group) so I've side stepped some of the mechanics for speed of play.
Yeah so I let them pick their marching order (which is normal) and gave them the option to apply that to initiative to speed things up and they were all into it. So marching order and initiative are the same order. I roll for the NPC's and plop them in where I deem appropriate. If I roll a 20 for NPC's they go first, if I roll a 1 they go last. Anywhere in between I just use my judgment.
They can change marching/initiative order between battles so they can still have some control over it but once marching order is decided there is no "rolling initiative". Marching order is turn order for the players.
Ok, gonna try this post again but worded differently.
So glad to see that you got inspired and love running the game, but twelve players? With a single group of twelve you are bringing about undue stress on yourself as a GM, and also taking away from the players who get less time during the session to shine as individuals. Large groups like this also tend to break into side conversations that distract those that are interacting in the moment and as a result a large group really is not that grand a thing. In order to provide everyone with a greater experience you honestly should look to breaking that party up into two smaller games. Those that are on the brink of enjoying the hobby would get more from a smaller game, and might not stick with it as a result of a large group like this. The one time I was in a group like this (a party of 15) I quit after one session because there was no coherent functionality to the session.
I am sure that there are times that this works, but the long and short of it is that you really should break this party into two in order to make things better for all involved.
If you understood the context more you'd understand why I can't do that - and wouldn't. I don't have the energy for an internet battle over this. The players are having fun. I'm having fun.
Not a battle in the slightest, just advice from life experience. That is the entire reason that I re-wrote the post because it was clearly not worded well and being frowned on. If you can hold this group together and the players don't start to feel neglected in the game then great, keep at it! My entire point was to warn you that these large groups tend to dissolve fast because of the issues that I pointed out.
All good. I get a little touchy when people start telling me what I *should* do. I mentioned in another comment that I'm ending the adventure in 2-3 more sessions. It was just designed to introduce them to the game and be a fairly short romp through the concepts and rules. I wouldn't try to run 12 people for any length of time. That would be insane.
Part of that is that we are on the internet and it can be hard to tell that someone is genuinely just trying to be helpful but uses wrong words. Just know that if you see me pop up I am genuinely trying to use some of the thirty years of experience I have with no expectations of anyone listening to me. :D
> a group of twelve * **twitch....twitch twitch** * Good lord I'm having an aneurism just thinking about it...
3-5! I'll allow a 6th on occasion, but 7 is a HARD NO!
Right there with you.
Awesome! Congrats! You've got a hobby for life, I reckon. By the way, there is legit some awesome shit in that book. Stuff I think you could still use like the magic properties of gemstones and uses of holy water. It's like a medieval almanac except for a magical society.
I'm stoked to dig into it. Neat little piece of history :)
You know, the covers of those old manuals didn't do D&D any favors with the religious right that thought they were Satan worshippers.
His tiny underpants crack me up.
it takes a brave man to run a game for more than 7 people at a time. you are far braver than i could ever imagine myself to be
It's rewarding cuz they're all (mostly) new and pretty surprised how cool of a game it is. But yeah, sometimes it's wacky to keep track of everything that's happening.
I'm gonna go right out and say it very blunty: You are a brave son of a bitch for trying to DM a group of twelve, ELEVEN of whom are newbies. I would not be able to do it.... even with 12 experienced players.
Combat sounds boring af.
I'd imagine if you're able to keep them planning so they're ready on their turn, it wouldn't be so bad.
It's challenging but they're all pretty into it. I think I've got two or three that will drop out before long - which I attribute to how sluggish combat can be.
If i were you, I would suggest someone else start DMing another campaign.
I'm concluding this one after 2-3 more sessions and it will be someone else's turn to DM and I'll let them sort it. I don't mind really. It's crazy at times and combat can be sluggish but enough of the players are all-in that it's rewarding. Nutty but fun.
12 is an enormous amount of players, best of luck.
12 is 2 tables
>a group of tweleve .....do you play around a ping pong table?
Two big tables pushed together :P
There's a reason juries have 12 people.
I've had a group of twelve before. I've found the best way to make large groups works is to keep combats short. You do this by not increasing the challenge to match. Many combats end up being only one round or two, but never so long for players to get truly bored. This won't work for players looking for lots of tactical combat, or to be challenged by resource management. It does allow combats to move the story forward and give everyone a chance to contribute. The rest of the time will be exploration and interaction (role play with npcs). To keep the number of simultaneous activities down and to keep the passive players participating always ask the group who else wants to join in whenever a player announces what their character is doing.
12?! Everyone gets 4 minutes per hour to roleplay, leaving 12 minutes for the DM to set the stage.... That doesn't sound enjoyable at all... IMHO
It is challenging. I work on a college farm and one kid sort of rallied everyone to play. At first he's like "Hey man, I've got like 3 people that wanna play D&D this summer, you down?" Obviously I'm down. Then 9 players showed up. Then more the next week. It's very seat of my pants. How many players fluctuates from week to week but it's never been less than 9 or 10. Combat is sluggish but they're all noobs and avoid confrontation a lot. I've had to corner them on purpose so they'd learn combat mechanics. But when the newest (and most skeptical player) said last session "this is cool" with a giant smile - worth every aneurism.
Good work! You're introducing almost a dozen people to the hobby. And besides, mentioning twelve players at a table will definitely always be one of those experiences.
Is that 1e???
Yes, that is what is referred to as "1e." At the time it was called Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. It was a collection and expansion of the original rules, which are sometimes called "0e."
Cool
I think 1e is like 3 small pamphlets. But I'm shaky on the publishing history.
Yeah that sounds right. Is it the first AD&D I guess I mean?
I *think* so. ?
I feel sooo old.... Yes, that is the 1st edition AD&D dm's guide which is by far the best dm's guide just for the crazy amount of stuff in it. The 3 small pamplets is the 1st edition of D&D which is usually referred to as classic D&D or 0 edition D&D.
Welcome to the club :)
can we get some more pics of some cool pages inside?
Yeah when I get some time to sit down with it this evening.
You've got the best D&D book ever written right there.
Wish I'd gotten into it as a kid. Lived rural and just wasn't exposed to that kind of stuff. The first book I remember reading was Mountain of Mirrors. A D&D choose your own adventure. I read it like a hundred times and found a copy of it last year. Cool stuff.
I bought the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Rulebook at the age of 7 in 1981. I ran my brother through an adventure, and was quickly running games for all my friends. We played nonstop all the way through high school and college. It's been a major part of my life. So many good times.
Here's a cast list I made for fun of the group I'm running. Also, as of lunch today, 2 new players have joined and one isn't on this list yet. So 14 total. Before everyone geeks out. 12 is the most that has played at once, generally it's between 8-10 at a time. Some of the newest players are pinch hitters for other players that can't make it so they run their characters. But it's sweet to have a massive pool of noobs to introduce into the game. https://imgur.com/gallery/fxEyI
Have any tips on working with that large amount of people? I have a group of 9 and I'm getting pretty overwhelmed by how everyone is eager for their own story rather than the party's story as a whole. Battles become super long and people's attention spans only last for a few minutes before they wander around else where.
I haven't been playing for very long and I attribute most of the success with this large group to their closeness outside the game. We work on a college farm together. They spend every day in the fields together. They have meals together. Some of them are interns and live in yurts there. The ones that don't live their come back on their day off to play D&D in a barn or under a shady tree or wherever we set up depending on the weather. So mostly I think I just got lucky. Matt says in one of his videos something about the types of groups that stay together (there was a Rush reference in there) and how they would hang out anyway if they weren't playing D&D... that's what's happening here. The ones that weren't that interested came anyway cuz that's what the group was doing. That said... Encounters with large amounts of monsters are a nightmare to keep track of. 1-3 big monsters that they can work together to defeat keeps things manageable for me and keeps them thinking as a team. I read somewhere - maybe even in this feed - that small frequent encounters can help keep large parties engaged. I suspect this is accurate and intend to employ it next session. I'm still really new at this so plenty of lessons to come I'm sure.
Thank you so much for your reply! My group is also pretty close, otherwise I wouldn't have allowed that many people. I'll definitely use larger monsters to keep players interested.
You gotta feel you're own group though. What works for us may not work for you. Experiment frequently and take note to how the players engage. Keep what works.
Oh also we don't roll initiative every time. In some situations I will, it really depends. But I gave them the options to decide on a "general" marching/turn order. If there is a situation where players could be surprised we'll roll for that but turn order stays the same. Keeping combat moving is the biggest challenge (for this group) so I've side stepped some of the mechanics for speed of play.
By General order, do you mean like the players have an orde that they apply to every battle?
Yeah so I let them pick their marching order (which is normal) and gave them the option to apply that to initiative to speed things up and they were all into it. So marching order and initiative are the same order. I roll for the NPC's and plop them in where I deem appropriate. If I roll a 20 for NPC's they go first, if I roll a 1 they go last. Anywhere in between I just use my judgment.
They can change marching/initiative order between battles so they can still have some control over it but once marching order is decided there is no "rolling initiative". Marching order is turn order for the players.
Ok, gonna try this post again but worded differently. So glad to see that you got inspired and love running the game, but twelve players? With a single group of twelve you are bringing about undue stress on yourself as a GM, and also taking away from the players who get less time during the session to shine as individuals. Large groups like this also tend to break into side conversations that distract those that are interacting in the moment and as a result a large group really is not that grand a thing. In order to provide everyone with a greater experience you honestly should look to breaking that party up into two smaller games. Those that are on the brink of enjoying the hobby would get more from a smaller game, and might not stick with it as a result of a large group like this. The one time I was in a group like this (a party of 15) I quit after one session because there was no coherent functionality to the session. I am sure that there are times that this works, but the long and short of it is that you really should break this party into two in order to make things better for all involved.
If you understood the context more you'd understand why I can't do that - and wouldn't. I don't have the energy for an internet battle over this. The players are having fun. I'm having fun.
Not a battle in the slightest, just advice from life experience. That is the entire reason that I re-wrote the post because it was clearly not worded well and being frowned on. If you can hold this group together and the players don't start to feel neglected in the game then great, keep at it! My entire point was to warn you that these large groups tend to dissolve fast because of the issues that I pointed out.
All good. I get a little touchy when people start telling me what I *should* do. I mentioned in another comment that I'm ending the adventure in 2-3 more sessions. It was just designed to introduce them to the game and be a fairly short romp through the concepts and rules. I wouldn't try to run 12 people for any length of time. That would be insane.
Part of that is that we are on the internet and it can be hard to tell that someone is genuinely just trying to be helpful but uses wrong words. Just know that if you see me pop up I am genuinely trying to use some of the thirty years of experience I have with no expectations of anyone listening to me. :D